UPDATED POST WITH VIDEO12/ 20/12 QUESTION ON MTH PREMIER F-7

PRR guy but I love those Lightning Bolt NYCs. I second the question. What class modeler do you need to be to do a fixed pilots? I'm not experienced at all. Is there someone on the forum who performs these conversions? Finally, does the conversion end up requiring larger radius turns? I suspect so. Thanks. Ron

I think that I would be more concerned about the crooked lighting stripes. Wonder how MTH missed THAT. The MTH models in HO are spot on.

First caveat is that you'll have to run on 36" radius (O-72) or larger curves and no left-right S curves without at least 15" of straight track in between.

 

You'll have to give up your three-rail electronic couplers as they're truck mounted and your pilot opening doesn't have the space for it to swing. Remove the truck, remove the "E" clip from the bottom,  remove the "T" bar and spring, and unplug the coupler.

 

I have the scale-wheeled F7 set which comes with fixed pilots on the A-units. The B-units use truck-mounted coupling as do the rear ends of the A-units.

 

You'll need to remove the pilot from the truck and will probably have to trim off the mounts to prevent binding in curves.  It also looks like you'll need to make some spacers. The first one will go between the chassis frame and the pilot (a slightly thinner spacer would allow the pilot mounts to clear the truck, thus avoiding trimming them off.) The second spacer will be smaller and support your coupler. The pilot spacer will keep the pilot in the right vertical position. You'll need a little black paint for that. The coupler spacer will allow you to set the Kadees at the right height (11/16" to the coupler centerline.)

 

The coupling between the B-unit(s) and the A-units doesn't need to be changed as it's not readily visible on the F7's when in operation. $oo Line did a conversion on a set of FT's, which I'm also planning to do. In that case, the A-units were draw-bar connected to the B-units.

 

Hope this helps.

Thanks Todd, they are really nice. Go for it

 

Hi Matt,

 

I thank you for such an in depth post. Very well done.  It's an awful lot of work so I will just leave them as is and enjoy them.

 

Thanks again, Alex

 

Alex...they are beautiful!  I have a ABBA set of Weaver sharks painted the same color scheme....I love em!!

 

Alan

Thanks Alan

I love the look too, I had them on order a while back and I forgot about it. I received a phone call this morning from my LHS and they said come pick up your NYC F-7's, so I ran there as fast as I could.

 

Alex

beautiful pics alex

Alex,

Your best bet for the fixed pilots might be to just exchange the set for the scale wheeled set. I believe they come with the fixed pilots. Unfortunately, you will only be able to run them on your 0-72 main lines. That being said, I would not do any of that. I would run the wheels off those diesel's!!

Brother that is one great looking set! Enjoy them pal!

Mike R

Better look at those lightning stripes again. Right at the cab door, where the stripes make the "jog" the two forward leaning angular "lightning bars" are NOT parallel with each other.

It's a hinge issue.  On mine I just opened and closed the doors a few times and the stripe lines up.

.....

Dennis

Alex:

 

Enjoy these.  I have seen at my local train shop and they are very nice.

 

Thanks.

Alex

I'd leave them alone. 

 

BTW where in Staten Island are you. I have family in Great Kills.  Been following some of your posts and great work on the building you did for the NJ Hirailers. I work with Ben and he really liked it. I'll try to introduce myself at Trainstock

Steve

Hi everyone thanks for the kind words and interest in these engines. I do agree with Dennis on the sounds. I did notice a better speaker but with that being said, I don't see much if any difference in the sound from PS2 to PS3.The only thing I hear is a little deeper base. I see what you're talking about Hot Water,  I guess I will have to live with the mistakes and ok sound. Over all they are pretty nice units and they are keepers for me.  So here's a quick video so you guys can hear the sound's.

The settings on the sounds were all set to 100%. See what you guys think.

Thanks again, Alex

 

Hi Steve,

 

I will leave these engine's as is, I just posted a video of them so everyone can hear the sounds. Overall they are keepers for me.

Steve I live about 4 miles from Great Kills in a town called Pleasant Plains. I'm looking forward to meeting you at Trainstock.

 

Thanks, Alex

Todd,

 

Check out the video I just posted, These engines are very smooth runners, and the smoke of course in awesome. As I said above they are total keepers for me. If you want them I would suggest you should purchase them, you won't be disappointed

with them.

 

Thanks, Alex

Alex, did you see my post above about opening and closing the doors to line up your stripe?

.....

Dennis

Todd, I don't see any email address in your profile.  I would like a copy of Andy Edelman's remarks.  My email is in my profile.

.....

Dennis

I was under the impression that fixed pilots were for two rail scale and could not run on three rail track.

Alex

 

They look great and so does your layout. Dude, get the extra B-unit if you can. If it's like my extra B-unit was, you'll have to remove the trucks and the cables and switch the ends so it will be properly oriented to the trailing B-unit (true back-to-back AB pairs.) Not a lot of work and vastly improves the look (see below). Also note that the extra B-units don't come with scale couplers so I had to swap one truck from the separate-sale B-unit with the rear truck from the included B-unit, but the B-units are so close the diaphragms almost touch even with the three-rail couplers in place. This is much better than the FT's I have from an earlier run.

 

Not true. However, you DO need to have more "generous" curves, i.e. NOT 031/027, for fixed pilots. What few diesels I own, I have had them all up-graded to fixed pilots and Kadee couplers, but my sharpest curve is 072.

Nice Alex!  Beautiful locomotive set and thanks for posting the video!  Enjoy!  Bo

 

 

Visit my website Bo's Trains at http://www.bostrains.com

now I know! thanks

Hinge problem?  Beautiful paint scheme?  In what may be the absolute worst application of NYC Lightning stripes in model railroad history, the vertical zigs are not even close to being aligned.  You have to be blind not to notice.  The HO MTH PAs (on the left) have the proper vertical zigs.  Simply inexcusable to make a mistake like this.  How could anyone have missed this and let it go out the door is beyond me, as well as how anyone could compliment the paint job.  And, the simple answer to the question is MTH engines come in two versions. -1 and -2.  -1 is 3 rail.  -2 is 2 rail.  If you want a fixed pilot engine, purchase the -2 version, swap out the scale wheels for high rail wheels, then flip the interior switch from 2r to 3r.  Now Andy can shoot me next time he sees me.

 

 

 

Alex, did you see my post above about opening and closing the doors to line up your stripe?

.....

Dennis

 

HI Dennis, I will try opening and closing the door's later to see if it helps. Thanks

Alex

 

They look great and so does your layout. Dude, get the extra B-unit if you can. If it's like my extra B-unit was, you'll have to remove the trucks and the cables and switch the ends so it will be properly oriented to the trailing B-unit (true back-to-back AB pairs.) Not a lot of work and vastly improves the look (see below). Also note that the extra B-units don't come with scale couplers so I had to swap one truck from the separate-sale B-unit with the rear truck from the included B-unit, but the B-units are so close the diaphragms almost touch even with the three-rail couplers in place. This is much better than the FT's I have from an earlier run.

 

Matt, I thank you for all of your input. I will take your advice and purchase the extra B unit shortly. Thanks

Not true. However, you DO need to have more "generous" curves, i.e. NOT 031/027, for fixed pilots. What few diesels I own, I have had them all up-graded to fixed pilots and Kadee couplers, but my sharpest curve is 072.

 

Hot Water I thank you for knowledge.

 

Todd, and Bo thanks for your kind words.

 

Thanks to all again, Alex

 

 

 

Fixed pilots , crooked lines, same sound.  Who the heck cares  As long as its not that Sanat Fe stuff you have so much of.  Its like the Neopalitan knockwurst that you like so much

Alex beautiful engines sounds great and love the horn and smoke

Alex,

Great video on an awesome layout.

Thanks for posting!

Mike R

OK, now I'm really curious how "opening and closing the cab door/doors" re-aligns those angular, forward facing lightning slashes. Especially since they are PAINTED ON THE CAR-BODY, and NOT the door!

The only issues I see with the lines are when they bump around stuff attached to the body, which one would expect.  The only line I saw not lined up was on the doors which could be lined up by opening and closing the door as I mentioned.  I'm still not sure what you are referring to . . . must be a rivet counter.

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Dennis

Rivet counter? How about you compare the photo, posted above, with the HO model on the left, and the O Scale model on the right, and tell me you don't see the difference in the "forward leaning" lightning stripes, right there on the side of the car-body. 

I don't see anything worth making a fuss about.  I'll take a closer look at my engines later when I have time.  I have to go out to a meeting right now.

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Dennis

 Is it the misaligned stripe on the bottom of the door? At least in the pictures it is hardly noticeable.  Maybe it is my eyesight but it don't seem to be a big deal. The engines look great though. I may buy a set to go along with my Lionel legacy F7's ABBA in the NYC LS scheme. The sounds and horn are spot on for the Lionel NYC F7. The MTH sounds are a little weak to my ears from the video. Typical of proto 2 sounds.

Alex, I just saw this thread.  That's a big step for you getting a diesel. Soon you will have many.  

 

Doug

Hi Doug, I'm starting to like diesels LOL LOL.

 

Hi Dave, take a look at this drawing I over exaggerated the angle of the lines, but this is what I think everyone is talking about. The degree of each angled line is off they don't match. Look at the arrows.

 

Thanks, Alex

 

BINGO! Now do you see it??????

Ben that was funny!

Mike R

Ps...Harvey's a lovely name.

Alex,

 

now I see it but it is not all that obvious to the causual viewer. I do agree that it should have been done right. But to be honest I who have 2 sets of LS units did not notice the mistake.  The sounds are more of a concern to me though.

Wow really?!?!

That's what you guys are complaining about?!?!

Alex,

Don't pay attention to these guys! You've got a beautiful set of diesels there. They sound great and run good. I know you, you don't keep engines on a shelf and stare at them and check there measurements like their some kind of shelf queens! You run your stuff and nobody is gonna see the difference in those stripes while they're running around your beautiful layout.

Guy's stop picking on BS! You don't have to buy them if you don't like them!!

Mike R

Ps...you can't draw for your life! GET DOWN!!!! Lol!!!

I took a look at my engines and finally see what you are talking about but it doesn't bother me since it took so long to even notice it.  However, I noticed something else in the HO and O picture above that is different:  the top horizontal line from the nose around to the zig, is lined up with the bottom line after the zig.  It is not that way on the HO model.  Which is correct I wonder?

.....

Dennis